Life, 1920-03-18 · page 2 of 54
Life — March 18, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon but a commercial advertisement** for Michelin tires, appearing in Life magazine (circa 1920s based on styling). The ad promotes Michelin's innovative ring-shaped inner tube design. It explains that while inflated inner tubes are longer around their outer circumference than inner circumference (a counterintuitive geometric fact), Michelin's solution—making the tube ring-shaped like the tire casing—eliminates tension and compression problems competitors face. The cartoon figure is **Bibendum, Michelin's famous mascot** (the "Michelin Man"), shown for scale comparison. This is straightforward product advertising emphasizing engineering innovation, not satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eekly by Lite P « Coma Entered an Seuvad Clase Matter June @ 186. at the Post Ufce at Hew “ tthe March 3d, 1879, rae, ——$—_ — TerETE Difference | Pre (( (Cas 4 SL. Surprising though it may wees” be to the uninitiated, the outside circumference of any inflated 34. x4 tube a " is 22 inches greater than : ea &. the inside circumference. = ‘ =~ Any inner tube when inflated is radically longer outer circumference being of practically the same length around its outer circumference than around itsinner as the inner circumference. ‘ circumference as is shown by the illustration above. Recognizing this basic principle, Michelin Scientists have built this difference into the Michelin Tube by making it ring-shaped like the inside of the casing. Since all tubes when in service must fill the inside of the casing, it is obvious that straight tubes must be stretched on the outer circumference or compressed at the rim or both, whereas Michelin Tubes, being shaped But every other tube is made perfectly straight—its to fit, are free from all strains of tension or compression. MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY, Milltown, N. J. Other factories: Clermont - Ferrand, France; London, England; Turin, Italy. De in all parts of the world comicbooks.com